Great Minds in STEM (United States)

ABSTRACTThe recent development of human brain organoids from induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs) enables the modeling of brain biology and pathophysiology, such as gliomas. However, most models lack vascular and/or immune systems, both of which play essential roles in maintaining brain health and in pathophysiological mechanisms. We have established a new method for generating vascularized complex cerebral organoids (CCOs) containing microglial cells (brain-resident macrophages) by incorporating bipotent hematopoietic/endothelial progenitors derived from the same IPSC lines during the early stages of development. This approach led to the formation of extensive vascular-like structures with blood-brain barrier characteristics, which were perfused upon transplantation into immunodeficient mice. Additionally, microglial cells exhibiting typical phenotypes and functionalities also developed within the CCOs. By coculturing CCOs with glioma stem cells, we demonstrated that this model effectively recapitulates the tumor niche of glioblastoma, showing vascular co-option, reprogramming of microglia into tumor-associated macrophages, and recurrence after radiotherapy. In conclusion, our vascularized and immunocompetent CCO model will be invaluable for understanding human brain development, exploring how this process is disrupted in diseases like gliomas, and discovering new therapeutic strategies.

This project introduces an Embedded Fall Detection System using machine learning algorithms for rapid response to protect individual safety.By employing advanced sensors like the gyroscope and accelerometer IMU with real-time data analysis capabilities, an alarm will sound immediately upon detection of falls by users as soon as a system alarm triggers instant alarms for them; notifications will then be sent out by both email and notification system to designated contacts.At its heart lies machine learning models trained on a fall dataset, which recognize patterns on efficient low-power embedded hardware to deliver discreet yet reliable daily life integration.When falls occur, immediate alarms provide user feedback, while email and notification alerts provide essential details that enable swift assistance from emergency services or caregivers.This project pioneers assistive technology by embedding intelligent fall detection using machine learning on low-power systems.This technology can increase accuracy and quickly adapt to evolving situations, ensuring timely interventions to mitigate fall injuries and enhance the safety of at-risk individuals. Background and Related Work ProblemFalling is the highest reason for hospitalization for older people in the United States.According to the National Institutes of Health, around 250,000 injuries and 11,000 deaths happen in the United States alone due to falling.During falls leading to severe injuries, receiving immediate help and assistance is vital and can be the difference between life and death.An estimated 9,000,000 citizens report falls annually, revealing a need for fall-detection devices (Verma et al., 2016). Current SolutionsCurrent solutions implemented include smart watches, necklaces, and more.These traditional methods of fall detection and alerts fall under a subset of a few disadvantages.

This paper presents the current progress of a STEM-NET research project titled as "Using Assetbased Participatory Design Thinking to Develop Culturally-Relevant STEM Video Modules to Promote Intrinsic Motivation." With the primary goal of identifying effective video design strategies to enhance student learning in engineering courses, this collaborative research project applies an innovative instructional design method called Participatory Design Thinking (PDT) to address the needs of the target learners. The first step of PDT is Empathize where we study the perspectives of engineering students with diverse cultural and educational backgrounds towards video learning modules. This paper focuses on describing the findings at Empathize stage through interviews and student survey, as well as a recommended design checklist to create relevant and engaging video based on the findings. The design checklist is utilized to construct a storyboard template that can be used to formulate video design in both formal and informal learning settings.

Transplantation of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived dopaminergic (iPSC-DA) neurons is a promising therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's disease (PD). To assess optimal cell characteristics and reproducibility, we evaluated the efficacy of iPSC-DA neuron precursors from two individuals with sporadic PD by transplantation into a hemiparkinsonian rat model after differentiation for either 18 (d18) or 25 days (d25). We found similar graft size and dopamine (DA) neuron content in both groups, but only the d18 cells resulted in recovery of motor impairments. In contrast, we report that d25 grafts survived equally as well and produced grafts rich in tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons, but were incapable of alleviating any motor deficits. We identified the mechanism of action as the extent of neurite outgrowth into the host brain, with d18 grafts supporting significantly more neurite outgrowth than nonfunctional d25 grafts. RNAseq analysis of the cell preparation suggests that graft efficacy may be enhanced by repression of differentiation-associated genes by REST, defining the optimal predifferentiation state for transplantation. This study demonstrates for the first time that DA neuron grafts can survive well in vivo while completely lacking the capacity to induce recovery from motor dysfunction. In contrast to other recent studies, we demonstrate that neurite outgrowth is the key factor determining graft efficacy and our gene expression profiling revealed characteristics of the cells that may predict their efficacy. These data have implication for the generation of DA neuron grafts for clinical application.

A 2nd Amazon Stem Academy Conference – ASAC22 foi realizada de forma presencial e gratuita no período de 19 a 22 de outubro de 2022. A Conferência faz parte das atividades do Projeto Academia STEM, fruto da parceria da Universidade do Estado do Amazonas (UEA) com a Samsung Eletrônica da Amazonia. A Academia STEM é um projeto de capacitação e formação profissional que tem por objeto oferecer uma estrutura de ações, atividades, iniciativas e programas de capacitação voltados para os cursos de graduação STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics), visando a adoção de uma metodologia de aprendizagem que potencialize a melhor disseminação de conhecimento compatível às demandas existentes no mercado de trabalho. A 2nd ASAC22 teve por tema: “Ciência e Tecnologia na Formação de Competências para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável na Amazônia” como forma de destacar a oportunidade de convergência entre a formação de engenheiros e a promoção da sustentabilidade. Por estarmos na Amazônia, temos especial capacidade de aliar desenvolvimento tecnológico e inovação à conservação do Bioma. Foram muito importantes as discussões estabelecidas a partir desta perspectiva!! Neste Anais apresentamos uma coletânea de conhecimentos, os resumos expandidos dos trabalhos científicos apresentados durante o evento com o link de acesso no YouTube para assistir aos vídeos de apresentação desses trabalhos durante o evento ASAC22.

Most research on digital skills concerns typically-developing young people. This project asks whether digital skills, as conceptualised by the wider ySKILLS project, improve or undermine the wellbeing of adolescents with lived experience of diverse mental health difficulties such as self-harm, depression and anxiety, eating disorders, excessive internet use, grooming and sexual abuse.

Increasingly, academics are engaging with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). However, within United Kingdom higher education, the definition of and activities that constitute SoTL remain open to debate. In this article, we explore SoTL through four career histories that give insight into how SoTL has developed and played a role in the careers of four life sciences-based, teaching-focused academics in UK universities at different points in their careers. The recurring themes in the career histories include collaboration; professional development; sharing and dissemination; and funding. The career histories also highlight aspects of and the importance of communities of practice. We reflect on the role of communities of practice in supporting SoTL and discuss how communities of practice external to one’s home institution can play a role in developing SoTL and teaching practice. Internationally there is a growing focus on SoTL, and although the four career histories presented here are authored by academics based in UK institutions and focused on the UK context, the themes they reveal are widely applicable.

Moving from steam and waterpower, electricity and assembly lines, and computerization, to the adoption of cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things and the Internet of Systems executed as intelligent machines, the world now dives into a new era called by some the Fourth Industrial Revolution. New discussions are conducted regarding what implications this has for the education of today’s generation—and that of those in the decades to come. As artificial intelligence (AI) branching from computer science (CS) is becoming more ubiquitous and seamless behind the scene in our daily life, many countries have dedicated significant amounts of resources in order to fuel research to maximize their leverage of this continually developing technology. This renewed interest in AI has sparked discourse about the importance of AI knowledge, concepts, and computational skills for young people, and about the introduction of CS education in K-12. This article aims to reshape the concepts of AI through the lens of historical development in computing industry and education, and to uncover a new direction for AI education in K-12 around the globe.

Abstract Scientists are increasingly motivated to engage the public, particularly those who do not or cannot access traditional science education opportunities. Communication researchers have identified shortcomings of the deficit model approach, which assumes that skepticism toward science is based on a lack of information or scientific literacy, and encourage scientists to facilitate open-minded exchange with the public. We describe an ambassador approach, to develop a scientist's impact identity, which integrates his or her research, personal interests and experiences to achieve societal impacts. The scientist identifies a community or focal group to engage, on the basis of his or her impact identity, learns about that group, and promotes inclusion of all group members by engaging in venues in which that group naturally gathers, rather than in traditional education settings. Focal group members stated that scientists communicated effectively and were responsive to participant questions and ideas. Scientists reported professional and personal benefits from this approach.